Welcome to Thunderdome! Or, as us in the hockey biz like to call it, July 1.

Throughout today, PHT will bring you up-to-the-minute news covering all the signings and trades that go down across the NHL. And — because we know you don’t wanna go looking all over the place for what’s happened — we’ve created this here handy tracker to keep tabs on all the action.

Enjoy the day…

Tuesday, July 1

New York Islanders sign Harry Zolnierczyk: for one year, $600,000 (link); they also sign Cory Conacher to an identical one-year, $600,000 deal (link)

Detroit Red Wings re-sign D Kyle Quincey for two years, $8.5 million (link)

As per playoff tradition, the Habs weren’t offering much in the way of details, other than both Pacioretty and Gionta suffered upper-body injuries.

Neither player missed extended time during Thursday’s Game 1 loss — a 4-2 decision to the Sens at the Bell Centre. Pacioretty played 25 shifts for 19:59 of ice time, while Gionta played 24 shifts for 16:09.

Gionta played more in the third (6:25) than any other period, while Pacioretty played over seven minutes.

The losses are absolutely crucial for a Canadiens team that already lost its home-ice advantage.

Pacioretty led the team in scoring this year with 39 points and tied for the team lead in goals, with 15.

Gionta, the club’s captain, was second in goals (14) and is one of the team’s most experience playoff performers, having appeared in nearly 100 postseason contests, winning a Stanley Cup in 2003.

The Canadiens have a pool of healthy scratches to draw from to replace Eller, Pacioretty and Gionta in the lineup: Colby Armstrong, Nathan Beaulieu, Mike Blunden, Jeff Halpern, Louis Leblanc and Petteri Nokelainen.

Since taking over as Canadiens GM from Bob Gainey in February 2010, Gauthier’s moves haven’t been impressive. Checking out his track record courtesy of All Habs (Part 1, Part 2), Gauthier’s done more to find parts for Montreal’s AHL team than the NHL team. All that’s left behind in Montreal now are Tomas Kaberle, Lars Eller (the “big name” in the Jaroslav Halak trade), Mike Blunden, and Petteri Nokelainen. Yikes.

Those trades on top of Erik Cole’s monster contract this summer don’t make for a great track record while the Canadiens roll along in mediocre fashion. Gauthier’s pick for the next head coach had better be a good one because it could be the man that saves his job.

Louis Leblanc is finding that being the hometown hero in Montreal is a roller coaster of emotions.

Last night during the second period of Montreal’s 4-3 loss to Philadelphia, Leblanc scored his first NHL goal in front of the adoring home fans. The same fans that went wild when he was drafted there in 2009. The same fans that saw Leblanc play just 49 seconds in the third period.

With the frustrations Habs fans have had with their team this year and seeing the team struggle with scoring goals, you’d think seeing a rookie take charge and score his first goal would result in being rewarded with more ice time. Instead, coach Jacques Martin kept his lines together and rolled them out in machine-like fashion.

Leblanc being on Montreal’s fourth line with Mike Blunden and Yannick Weber meant that in a close game they weren’t going to see much action. Leblanc’s ability to create offense apparently not as important to Martin as his ability to sit on the bench and watch the game. Martin sure knows how to twist fans into a knot.

Curious what a standing ovation for scoring your first goal looks like? Check it out.

Free agent signings aren’t always going to grab you by the face and make you pay attention to them. Sometimes we have to grab you by the face and make you take notice too. Hey, not everyone is going to be an NHL superstar signing and after the list we showed you this morning about who is left, the pickings are already slim.

That said, here are a few signings that came down this morning that might affect these teams later down the road or, at the very least, in the AHL.

Chris Conner was the Penguins’ good luck charm last season. No, really as the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s Seth Rorabaugh pointed out via Twitter, the Penguins went 39-14-7 when Conner was with the team and 10-11-1 when they were without him. With Pittsburgh, Conner scored seven goals and added nine assists. It’s also a bit of a homecoming for him as he hails from Westland, Michigan and played college hockey at Michigan Tech. The Wings are just hoping his good luck charm can change cities.

Vancouver signs defenseman Alexander Sulzer and goalie Matt Climie

Alexander Sulzer was once a promising defenseman in the Nashville system but he was sent packing to Florida last season for a conditional seventh round pick. So much for all that promise. In Florida he didn’t do all that much there either and now he heads to Vancouver to provide them depth. Matt Climie signing a deal in goal doesn’t mean that Cory Schneider’s got anything to worry about. Instead, Climie will head to AHL Chicago and work with prospect Eddie Lack in goal.

Drew McIntyre escapes the Atlanta system and heads to Buffalo where he’ll likely get to play a ton in AHL Rochester. Colin Stuart is a depth forward who has seen a handful of games played in the NHL over the last three years with Atlanta and Buffalo. Stuart spent most of last season in AHL Portland as part of the Sabres system.

Montreal signs Brian Willsie, swings minor league deal with Columbus

Brian Willsie has been making his bones in the AHL for the better part of his career that’s seen him go from Los Angeles to Colorado and then to Washington. Back in 2005-2006 he scored 19 goals for the Capitals but since then it’s been life in the minors. He signs on with Montreal to try and crack their lineup but will most likely spend his days in Hamilton in the AHL. There he’ll get to meet up with newly acquired forward Mike Blunden who the Habs acquired in a deal with Columbus in exchange for forward Ryan Russell.

Oddly enough for Russell he’ll join his twin brother, defenseman Kris Russell, at training camp. If Ryan can make the Jackets roster out of camp we’ll have two sets of twin brothers running amok in the NHL. Good luck broadcasters.

Jason Gregoire made a name for himself at the University of North Dakota as the team captain and source of inspiration for the Fighting Sioux and now he gets to go back home again. Gregoire, a Winnipeg native, signed a deal with the Jets to join their organization and maybe someday join them in the big leagues. Gregoire was a solid scorer in college and now the Jets will hope he can translate that play to the pros. Having a goal of playing in front of the hometown fans should motivate him plenty. Gregoire did belong to the Islanders but thanks to CBA loopholes, he became a free agent this summer. Fortunately for him his hometown just got an NHL team back.